Tragic Magic

Chapters

Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 1
Chapter 6

Chapter 2

Rarity glared at the table she’d so carefully set for her lunch with Twilight this afternoon. She’d spent a large portion of the morning cooking for the two of them, and had made sure to include all of Twilight’s favorite dishes. It might have seemed a bit excessive to an outsider, but nothing was too excessive for her Sparkle Kitten. Besides, anything left uneaten would make for a fine dinner later on, or even a meal the next day if necessary. The table had been set to match the extravagance of the intended meal, complete with fancy doilies, beautiful china, and the piece de resistance, her favorite candelabra. It was intended to be a delectable, romantic lunch for two ponies who loved each other very much, but sometimes things didn’t go according to intentions. Rarity knew this first-hoof as she pushed the third chair up to the table. A frown crossed her delicate features, but she took a deep breath and quickly dispelled it. Her unhappiness was surely what that selfish, conceited unicorn wanted, and she would not give her the satisfaction. Plus, frowning created unwanted lines.

The seamstress watched the love of her life enter the kitchen, accompanied by the contemptible blue braggart. She did everything in her power to not refer to her with the title of “Twilight’s ex,” despite the fact that Twilight’s comment upon her entrance seemed to indicate exactly that. To refer to her as such a thing was to allow such an idea acceptance, and she was not quite sure of her ability to give it credence. Even without granting her that title, though, she still found herself incensed at every little thing that Trixie did. Her discerning eyes, whose merits usually lent themselves well to dressmaking, were fixated on every detail of the disgusting blowhard in the tacky star-studded hat. Trixie’s proximity to Twilight was unacceptable. The sideways glance she gave her Kitten as they entered was lecherous. Her hoofsteps fell in the same rhythm as Twilight’s; surely a desperate effort to pretend that she was worthy enough to be compared to her. Still, she forced a smile upon her countenance as the two reached the table. Twilight raised a brow at her as she sat down between Rarity and Trixie; she knew Rarity intimately enough that she could tell a fake smile from her when she saw it. She said nothing, though. She wasn’t too surprised by this kind of reaction.

“So!” Rarity spoke once everypony was seated, with a level of peppiness that hid her true feelings. “What is the meaning of this visit?” Trixie opened her mouth, beginning to answer, but Twilight cut her off.

“Mayyyybe I should be the one to say it, Trixie,” Twilight said, withstanding the piercing gaze of her love from her seat next to her. Trixie began to protest, but then chose to quiet herself.

“Well,” Twilight continued, once she was in the clear to do so. “A while back, before we’d started dating, I got a letter from Princess Celestia, telling me that she had been captured and needed my assistance and my assistance alone.”

“Mmm,” Rarity responded. “And you did not find this suspicious, darling?”

“W-well,” Twilight stammered, rubbing the back of her mane awkwardly. “I was worried, you know? I read about the Princess being in trouble...”

“In perfect hoofwriting, mind you,” Trixie interjected. Rarity turned her gaze to the detestable one.

“I suppose you had a hoof in writing this letter?” she asked, already knowing the answer to her question.

“Ah ah ah,” Trixie replied, with a haughty grin. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is not the one telling the story. Would you care to continue, Twilight?” Rarity hmphed, turning her attention back to Twilight.

“Um...yes,” Twilight continued, her cheeks reddening. “It turned out that Trixie wrote the letter to lure me to her alone and...erm...enact her revenge.” Rarity raised a hoof, deciding that she might not want to hear the exact details of said “revenge.”

“And of course, Twilight was swayed by the Great and Powerful Trixie’s beauty and charm,” Trixie interrupted, smirking. Rarity rolled her eyes, something which Trixie caught and latched onto immediately. “Why, Twilight Sparkle simply could not get enough of Trixie’s...”

“As I was saying!” Twilight said, a bit loudly. “The two of us ended up getting along rather well, and continued to meet for a while.”

“Without any of your friends knowing?” Rarity asked, a hint of hurt in her eyes. Twilight sighed.

“I didn’t think you girls would understand,” the purple unicorn said softly. “I know that Trixie was a bit abrasive when she came to town, and I figured you’d be upset with me for fraternizing with the enemy.” Trixie moved to put a reassuring hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, but Rarity shot hers out first, pulling Twilight close to her.

“Oh Twilight, darling,” Rarity purred. “You should know that nothing could change our opinions of you. You are a wonderful, dear friend to the others, and even more than that to myself.” She accentuated this statement with a tender nuzzle to Twilight’s cheek, causing the purple unicorn to close an eye and smile. Rarity gave a sideways glance to Trixie to gauge her reaction, but the blue one simply sat quietly, showing no sign of perturbedness. Twilight’s eyes followed Rarity’s to Trixie, and she looked back at Rarity questioningly. Rarity simply smiled and gave another quick nuzzle before releasing her.

“Thank you, Rarity,” Twilight said. “I guess I just got a bit worried over nothing. But yes, Trixie and I dated in secret for a while. We had fun together, but eventually the pressure of keeping it secret was a bit much for me, and it began to take a toll on our time together. Eventually, the two of us decided that it would probably be for the best if we split up.” Rarity nodded and offered a comforting hoof once again.

“I am dreadfully sorry to hear that, kitten,” Rarity said, which was only partially a lie. “But I am sure that the two of you have both blossomed wonderfully since your relationship, and you can go on after your little visit and be happy in another to-”

“And,” Trixie said, cutting Rarity off. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has come back to claim what was once hers!” Trixie’s declaration would have been met with complete silence if it weren’t for the fireworks that she’d summoned up. Twilight and Rarity simply stared at each other for a couple of awkward seconds, which seemed like minutes, before the white unicorn finally stood, turning her now-angry gaze towards the arrogant stage magician.

“Trixie...” Twilight spoke up, trying to cut through the tension. “I’m sorry, but I’m...”

“She,” Rarity spoke through gritted teeth, “is quite happy with me, thank you very much. You shall not be claiming anypony.” Twilight raised a brow; she’d never seen Rarity act like this before. A large part of her was flattered, but it also startled her a bit. Trixie, on the other hoof, reacted with a hearty laugh, brushing a bit of mane out of her face.

“Oh, hush now,” Trixie said, smirking. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is aware of the fact that you and Twilight Sparkle are an item. Her intent was to return to Ponyville and reclaim the heart of Twilight Sparkle, but I had not counted on her finding another significant other.” Trixie adjusted her hat, giving a slight grin. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is not the type to break up a relationship, even if the mare that she wants would clearly be better off with a mare of her stature.” Rarity sneered at this comment, causing Twilight, who looked none too happy herself, to stand up.

“Trixie, I don’t appreciate you saying that about Rarity,” Twilight said evenly. Trixie held a hoof to her chest.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie did not mean to offend, Twilight,” she said. “And I apologize if I came off poorly. I truly wish for you two to be happy together.” Rarity scoffed, nowhere near ready to allow the antagonistic illusionist even an iota of her trust, but a look from Twilight silenced her.

“We accept your apology, Trixie,” Twilight said. Rarity did not respond, until another look from Twilight convinced her to give a begrudging nod.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie is glad to hear that,” Trixie said calmly. “You two enjoy your lives. As for myself, I shall...simply go back to traveling.” Rarity smiled, all ready to bid her a not-so-fond farewell, until Twilight spoke up.

“You don’t have a place to stay?” Twilight asked, concerned.

“I unfortunately do not,” Trixie replied, looking away. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has...not been so great and powerful with her spending. I have not been making quite as many bits as I would like with my stage act, and I must admit that I spent my remaining earnings on this trip to Ponyville, in hopes that Twilight and I could be together. But alas, such is not to be, and so I will go back to a solitary life on the road, struggling to make ends meet...such is the burden of the Great and Powerful Trixie.”

Rarity blinked a few times. Part of her did not want to look in Twilight’s direction. She knew that this story was a farce; after all, who would be so foolish as to make such a life decision without even checking to see if the pony they were going after was with another pony? However, Twilight, while very intelligent, could be just a bit naive in some social situations. Rarity fought off the urge to look at Twilight’s reaction for as long as she could, because she knew that she would see a lovely face that had just been bamboozled by a blatant lie. Finally, she could resist no more, and glanced towards Twilight. Sure enough, her Sparkle Kitten was staring at her ex-marefriend, pity and sadness coloring her features. Rarity watched her in what seemed like slow motion as the next words escaped her lips.

“You could stay here if you want,” Twilight said. Seven monosyllabic words, incorporeal as all spoken words were, yet Rarity still felt them strike her in the pit of her stomach.

“T-Twilight, darling,” Rarity said, still reeling from the seven-hit verbal combo. “Are you sure about this?” She looked to Trixie, who was now giving her the most smug smile she had ever seen. “I’m just not sure that she...”

“You don’t believe me?” Trixie said, stopping her sentence cold. “You think that the Great and Powerful Trixie would make up a story in which she looks the fool?” She sighed, staring down at the ground. “Twilight, perhaps I should leave, if your marefriend does not feel comfortable with me being here.” Rarity could feel Twilight’s eyes fall upon her as she was suddenly thrust into the role of the villain.

“I...never said...” Rarity began.

“Rarity,” Twilight said, in a surprisingly stern tone. “I can’t believe that you would imply such a thing.”

“But I did not...” Rarity feebly offered.

“I would think more from a pony who bore the Element of Generosity,” Twilight said evenly. A critical strike for sure. Rarity stammered and stuttered, trying to recover, but Trixie held up a single hoof.

“Please, do not argue with your marefriend over me, Twilight Sparkle,” the stage magician said. “She is well within her rights to protect you from your ex-marefriend. I shall take my leave.”

“...No!” Rarity called out, wishing she hadn’t. “I...do not have a problem with you staying, Trixie. Until you can get back on your hooves.” Twilight’s smile was as proud as Trixie’s was pompous.

“Great!” Twilight said, trotting over to give Rarity a hug that only slightly placated her. “Trixie, you can head upstairs. The guest room is to the left, right at the top of the stairs.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie thanks you, Twilight,” Trixie said, placing one hoof on the first stair. “And a thanks to you as well, Rarity.” With that, Trixie vanished up the stairs. Rarity held her tongue as the blue mare ascended, then turned to Twilight.

“Thank you, Rarity,” Twilight said, smiling warmly. “I know that was tough for you, but I couldn’t live with myself if we just sent Trixie back onto the streets.” Rarity held her tongue on that topic; her story had way too many holes in it to be even remotely believable, but she did not want to insinuate that Twilight had misjudged her. Knowing Twilight, it would lead to a very lengthy thesis on the common telltale physical signs of a liar, and Rarity simply did not have the desire to wait for Twilight to write up an entire research paper on the topic.

“But Twilight, darling,” Rarity said, trying a different approach. “How can you be so positive that she will not attempt to threaten what we have together? Surely you recall her statement about claiming what was once hers.”

“Rarity, I really believe her,” Twilight said, looking straight into her love’s eyes. “And I really hope you’ll believe her too.” Rarity tried to put up a resistance, until she noticed Twilight’s horn light up and felt a magical hoof gently stroking her mane. Just as she knew Twilight’s weaknesses, Twilight was well aware of hers.

“...Very well, Sparkle Kitten,” Rarity sighed, the combination of mane stroking and Twilight’s lovely purple eyes proving to be too much for her. Twilight smiled sweetly at her as the spell dissipated.

“Thank you, Rarity,” Twilight said. “Now, I’m gonna go upstairs and help Trixie get situated. We’ll get together again later tonight for dinner, alright?” Rarity nodded, then puckered up to accept and return the kiss that Twilight offered her. She watched Twilight ascend the stairs until she was out of sight, then headed towards the library’s front door. She stopped for a moment, not sure if she really felt comfortable leaving the two together in the guest room upstairs. She shook this notion off; as much as she could not trust Trixie, she knew she could trust Twilight. Closing the front door upon her exit was difficult, but surely everything would be fine.

Chapter 3

That night had been a difficult one for Rarity. Normally, the combination of her comfortable mattress and carefully-fluffed pillow was an easy one-two combination to which her consciousness would easily succumb, but the day's events, as well as the possible future ramifications of them, weighed heavily on her mind. What made it worse was the nigh-impossibility of narrowing the events down into one singular issue, as the problem was as multifaceted as her finest gemstone. At the core of the issue was her distrust of the reprehensible ruffian that was now taking up residence in the library. There was nary a doubt in her mind that she could trust Twilight implicitly; her Sparkle Kitten would never do a thing to harm any friend, let alone her marefriend. Trixie, on the other hoof, was a loathsome cur, completely incapable of garnering even the tiniest iota of her trust. Beneath that tacky hat and that less-than-stylish mane sat the brain of a liar and a swindler. She did not believe Trixie's sob story for one moment. She was a stage magician with a proven lying streak; coming up with a tale of morose sorrow in order to try and woo her way into her former love's bed was not beyond her.

Her former love...it was this that vexed the fashionista the most. Twilight was an intelligent pony. Possibly the most intelligent pony she knew, in fact. If Trixie's deceitful nature was so obvious to Rarity, how in Equestria could Twilight, of all ponies, overlook it? How could Twilight have ever allowed herself to be drawn in by that vile pony's behavior? How could she have ever found herself romantically interested in such a contemptible harlot? Rarity pondered this for a few moments before realizing the answer. As brilliant as Twilight was, brilliance did not always translate into common sense. The poor naive girl had likely been swayed by the performer's silver tongue. Rarity had read enough romance novels to know that sometimes, all it took to win the heart of a pony who lacked experience in the game of love was a show of interest. This only made Rarity's anger burn brighter. Trixie was likely trying her luck at allowing lightning to strike twice. Meanwhile, she was stuck at home, having foolishly given the permission that created this opportunity.

"Twilight...your marefriend is not here for you, is she?"

"No...but she'll be back tomorrow."

"She does not have to come back, Twilight Sparkle. For what do you need of anypony else when you have the Great and Powerful Trixie by your side?"

"But I..."

"Surely she agreed to let me stay at your home so our love could be rekindled. She consented to this, remember?"

"...I suppose you're right..."

"Take me, Twilight Sparkle. Take me now..."

The white unicorn soon found herself pacing about her bedroom, unable to sit still any longer. She briefly considered heading over to the library that instant and sending that marefriend-stealing wench back to the streets where she belonged. She should have done that during dinner earlier that evening, but she could not muster up the nerve to do so. Each word of Trixie’s stories about her travels had irritated her, but she found herself incapable of doing anything about it, lest she earn the ire of her love. Now, though, she knew that the blue one had to leave. She gazed up at the clock, and quickly decided that Twilight would likely not be too happy with the idea of being woken up at 3 AM. The mare sighed and dropped back onto her mattress with a thump. Perhaps she was allowing her imagination to get the best of her. Perhaps she was thinking far too much into this situation. Perhaps, as Twilight had insinuated, everything truly was going to be fine.

And still, it irritated her so. The way that Trixie tried to make her out to be the bad pony in the whole situation made her skin crawl, and such a thing was certainly not healthy for her complexion. With one sentence, the stage magician had bowed out of the villain's spotlight where she belonged and thrust the beuatiful protagonist into her place, all in an attempt to steal the heart of her fair ingenue. The look of disappointment Twilight had given her, accompanied by that scathing attack on the nature of her element...she had been played to perfection by the terrible blue mare in the atrocious star-studded apparel. Rarity found herself begrudgingly forced to admit that she, too, had been played perfectly by Trixie. Had she stuck to her guns and denied Trixie's request, then she would be out of her life, hopefully for good. Such behavior, however, would have caused quite a bit of strain on her relationship with Twilight, and she couldn't stand to have her Sparkle Kitten upset with her. It was a lose-lose situation for the seamstress. As she rest her head on the pillow, attempting sleep once more, Rarity hoped that the loss she had avoided was worth the loss she had accepted.

Sleep eventually did come, but it hardly spelled the end for the beleaguered unicorn's troubles. A late wakeup time of 10 AM frustrated her, as while she did need her beauty sleep, she did not wish for it to come at the expense of her backlog of work to do in the boutique. Breakfast was hardly satisfying, as her distraction over the issue at hand caused her to lose track of how long her toast was browning...or blackening, as it would turn out. Even her work was affected. Normally she would never have thrown out a nearly-finished dress with no imperfections whatsoever, but it just so happened that its color was far too similar to that of a certain home-wrecking charlatan, so into the scrap bin it went. She gazed towards her other current project; a new dress for herself, which she planned on wearing to the big Princess Ball that Twilight had invited her to attend. She tried for some time to continue work on the piece, but after a while, she had to admit defeat. Twilight was her inspiration for this dress, and it was difficult to work when every thought of the one that inspired her was accompanied by dread of what might be happening between her and her ex at this very moment. Rarity sighed a heavy sigh, setting the dress back on its dress form. It was clear to her that she would not be getting any work done today, which left only one thing for her to do. She had to go to the library right this minute, to confirm or, hopefully, deny, her fears.

As Rarity made her way towards Golden Oaks Library, she started to second-guess her worries. A nice stroll through town was her usual go-to when she had difficulty working on a piece and needed to step away, and the cool, refreshing afternoon air was doing wonders to clear her head. She thought of Twilight; her beautiful eyes served as windows to an equally, if not more, beautiful soul. Twilight was a pony who was endlessly grateful for her friends. She cared deeply for each one of them, and there was no way that she would betray Rarity in any fashion. It simply was not something that she would ever do. Rarity had to concede to herself that perhaps she had been reading way too many romance novels. To think that the introduction of another pony who was staying in her marefriend's house would instantly lead to a saucy incident. It was preposterous.

"Oh, Trixie," Twilight would never say. "My love for you is burning anew!"

"My sweet Twilight Sparkle," Trixie could not possibly be saying right now. "I want you more than I've ever wanted anypony."

"Thank goodness Rarity is not around to witness our passion," were words that would never escape Twilight's mouth.

"You are mine now and forever," Trixie probably wasn't telling her.

"The rope that Rarity always uses is in the top drawer," Twilight shouldn't be saying, while hopefully not giving Trixie that half-lidded look that drove Rarity wild...

Rarity broke into a gallop. Her peculiar behavior elicited a lot of attention from the ponies in town, but it did not matter to her. Her hooves would not allow her to slow down until she had reached her destination.

Rarity winced as she skid to a halt in front of the library. Her perfect hooficure had been marred by her activities, and would require a trip to the spa very soon. However, this was very low in her list of worries as she entered the library.

"Twilight?" Rarity called out, her eyes scouring the area. "Are you awake?" A silly question. Twilight was always awake by 7:30, impossibly bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Today, though, she did not seem to be amongst the bookshelves or reading on her favorite cushion, as she typically would be. This raised a bit of concern in Rarity’s mind. Twilight was a creature of habit, always sticking to her very strict schedules. The sheer fact that she was not downstairs studying spoke volumes. Rarity took a deep breath, looking towards the stairs that led to the top floor of the library. She dreaded what she might find up there, but she knew that she had to find out. A nervous, slightly-scuffed white hoof stepped on the first stair, and before she even knew what was happening, she had ascended to the top. Her eyes darted left and right, between the doors of Twilight’s room and the guest bedroom. Both doors were closed. Her worry only grew, partially due to her wondering of what was going on behind either and partially out of nervousness about entering either without warning. Sure, she could knock, but that would give them time to stop doing whatever they might-be-but-probably-and-hopefully-were-not doing. However, it would be very rude of her to just intrude...

“Tie it a little tighter,” came a voice from inside Twilight’s room. No more hesitation was needed, as Rarity made her very unladylike entrance into the bedroom.

“What is going on in here?!” the white unicorn cried out. She set her gaze upon the bed, seeing the sight that she was hoping she would not see. Twilight was hogtied and lying prone on the bed, Trixie standing over her. The two mares stared at Rarity, who was now breathing heavily as she took in the sight.

“I...I cannot believe that you would...” Rarity stammered, grasping at words to try and verbalize the emotions she was feeling.

“...Would ask Trixie to show me an escape spell?” Twilight asked, her tone flat. Rarity blinked as she looked at the two. Surely she was not foolish enough to believe such a story...but the more she ruminated upon it, the more sense it made. Neither Twilight or Trixie was really in a position for any kind of advantage to be taken of Twilight’s helplessness. This was also around the time of day where Twilight would be studying to strengthen her magical ability...and Trixie, as a stage magician, was very likely to know such a spell...

“Are you okay, Rarity?” Twilight asked. Rarity realized that she had been silent for far too long.

“Perhaps the Great and Powerful Trixie should allow the two of you to speak alone,” Trixie said. She lit her horn up, letting Twilight’s bindings fall limp. “We can continue this another time, I suppose. I should probably make my bed, after all. It would be impolite not to do so when I am a guest in your house.” Twilight stretched her legs out, then cast a look at Rarity, one which made the white unicorn’s cheeks turn beet red. She knew from that look alone that she was in trouble. Her nemesis strode past her, giving her what she was sure was a devious little smirk as she passed. Rarity considered pointing this out to Twilight, but she was in deep enough as it was. She turned her head to see her Kitten suddenly face-to-face with her.

“What is the meaning of this, Rarity?” Twilight asked. She had a very distinct way of conveying her disappointment without once having to raise her voice.

“W-well...” Rarity began. “I mean...I must admit that I have been a bit curious about what you and Trixie have been doing...” She instantly regretted the venom that seeped into her pronunciation of Trixie’s name, because Twilight had caught it herself, and her sigh in response dripped with disappointment.

“After you left following dinner,” Twilight responded, “We talked a little more about her travels. She talked about how she wanted to apologize to you, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash for what she’d done to you during her show, and I said that I was sure you three would accept her apology. She went to the guest room and went to sleep, and I went to sleep too. Then we woke up this morning, had breakfast, discussed bringing her to the others to apologize, and then she wanted to show me this escape spell. And then somepony walked in before she could perform it.” Rarity shrunk back, offering a sheepish smile.

“...It sounds like you two had a lot of fun!” Rarity said. Twilight rolled her eyes, and Rarity hung her head. “I am dreadfully sorry, Kitten...I wish it was not the case, but I still feel somewhat uncomfortable having her around.” Twilight sighed, then nodded.

“I understand, Rarity,” she said, giving her a sympathetic look. “This is why I was worried about telling you of my time with Trixie.” She placed a hoof on Rarity’s side. “But I promise you that she, and I, can be trusted. I feel it.”

“And she feels correctly,” came the voice of a suddenly-returning Trixie. “I can assure you, Rarity, that I do not plan on any misdeeds with your lovely marefriend. The Great and Powerful Trixie will not lay a hoof on her for anything more than a simple hug between friends.” Rarity glared at Trixie, scouring her expression for any obvious signs of lying. Finding none, she then turned to Twilight, whose gaze begged understanding. The white unicorn sighed.

“Very well,” she said. “I...suppose I shall trust you.” She followed this under her breath with “For now.” Fortunately for her, neither mare heard her, or if they had, they did not indicate as such.

Chapter 4

She had been foolish for thinking that everything would be fine. She should have stuck to her guns.

She had been far too accepting of the blue menace. Twilight would have gotten over it in time if she had told her where she could take her lies.

She had been lulled into false security by Trixie's words and Twilight's innocent insistence that Trixie was to be trusted. She should have stood her ground, not allowed herself to be swayed.

And yet she did. In the end, even though it was the others who were committing the wrongdoings, it was Rarity who was to blame for allowing it to happen right under her nose.

She stared helplessly at the scene that laid in front of her. As the two pulled away from the deep kiss that they had been sharing, Rarity could swear that she saw the tiniest bit of remorse in the purple unicorn's eyes. Perhaps she was grasping at straws, trying to convince herself that maybe Twilight would break free from Trixie's spell. She had to; she was the element of magic, the element of friendship. Her magic had to be more powerful than Trixie's. The power of her friendship with Rarity had to be enough to overcome anything Trixie could throw at her.

And yet it wasn't. The vile villainess rebuffed her spell, erasing any remorse held by her love captive. Rarity watched, unable to do anything to stop the acts of betrayal that she bore witness to. The vile blue unicorn let her mane drop in front of one eye as she turned to Rarity.

"Your marefriend is your marefriend no longer, you foal," Trixie said, as Twilight's forelegs snaked around Trixie's neck, attempting to pull her back into her embrace. The blue unicorn placed a hoof on Twilight's forehead and pushed her back against the bed, holding the enamored unicorn back.

"N-no...Sparkle Kitten..." Rarity whimpered. Trixie laughed in response; a cold, shallow laugh that sent a chill up Rarity's spine. She then set her gaze back on Rarity, her lips curling into a devious grin.

"You could have her back, you know," Trixie said, her eyes starting to change colors, first slowly, then faster and faster. "The Great and Powerful Trixie supposes she could use another slave." Rarity gulped, finding that she could not break her gaze away from Trixie's. Slowly, her mind was enveloped by Trixie's magic, as she felt herself losing her resolve. She stood shakily, her legs moving on their own towards the bed. In what seemed like seconds, she had forgotten about her sadness over losing her love, and her anger at the blue unicorn.

"Twilight Sparkle belongs to the Great and Powerful Trixie," Trixie said, smirking; a tiny smile which Rarity now found herself entranced by. "And now...so do you."

"Yes, my love," Rarity found herself saying as she reached the bed. "I am yours..."

Rarity woke up with a start, in a cold sweat. It wasn't the first time this week that she'd had a dream with a similar premise. They would usually start out just fine; she'd be spending time with Twilight, just as she often would while awake. Then Trixie would show up. Twilight would be stolen from her, and she would be left alone and sad. This was the first time that the dream had taken such a different turn, though. It was not the kind of thing that the seamstress wished to think about, as it was under the same type of pretense that she and Twilight had discovered their love for each other. It shook her terribly, so much so that she was unable to return to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she would see that vile blue visage, smirking and beckoning her to join them. It took thirty sleepless minutes for Rarity to finally give up and drag herself out of bed. This simply could not go on; she would have to talk to somepony about it.

Hours later, Rarity had assembled her friends, save for Twilight, at Sugarcube Corner. She had told each of them that there was a very important, somewhat-private matter that needed to be discussed, but had not elaborated further. Sugarcube Corner had been chosen as the most convenient place to meet, as it was near the center of town and also held the extra benefit of being a fine place to have breakfast.

"So what's this all about, Rarity?" Applejack asked, swallowing the bit of apple danish in her mouth. "Ah owe Big Macintosh somethin' major fer takin' over mah duties t'day." She opened her mouth and allowed Fluttershy to feed her another bite. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes at their lovey-dovey behavior before turning to Rarity.

"Yeah, c'mon, Rare," the pegasus said. "I was just gonna lay down for a nice nap, and I MPH!" The cause of her muffled exclamation was Pinkie Pie, who giggled as she tried to emulate AJ and Shy's behavior with her own marefriend. Unfortunately for Dash, she had made a strategic error in trying to shove an entire eclair into her mouth.

"I bet it's got something to do with Twilight!" Pinkie giggled as she maneuvered around to give a now-choking Dash the Heimlich. "That's what my Pinkie Sense told me after all! Two nose-twitches and an ear-flop means some pony has a problem with their special somepony!"

"Did you get that one just now when you nearly killed me with baked goods?" Rainbow asked, coughing up the last bit of eclair.

"Nope!" Pinkie responded, ruffling Rainbow's mane. "Because you're not really mad at me!" Rainbow rolled her eyes. She had to admit, it was hard to be mad at Pinkie.

"Where is Twilight, anyway?" Fluttershy asked. Rarity sighed lightly.

"I did not invite her," the unicorn said. "Because Pinkie's Pinkie Sense was correct; this issue does indeed have to do with her." The other ponies frowned, except for Pinkie, who was proud to be right. Her smile soon turned into a frown as well, once she realized the implications of her being right.

"What did she do?" Applejack asked.

"Well...technically, she has done nothing wrong..." Rarity answered, sighing. "It is simply her insistence on allowing Trixie to stay with her...I'm sure she's mentioned to you in the past week that she and Trixie used to date." The four nodded in response; even if Twilight herself hadn't mentioned it, they certainly would have found out regardless, as Trixie did not exactly do much to not make her presence known, and she was sure to mention her past relationship with Twilight at the drop of a garish pointed hat.

"So what's the problem?" Rainbow asked. "This is Twilight we're talking about. I think we can all agree by now that we can trust Twilight not to do anything to hurt you, even if she's got that blowhard Trixie around." The others nodded in agreement. Rarity looked at the table, sighing once more.

"Trixie said," she started, "That the reason she came to Ponyville was to claim what was once hers, in reference to Twilight. Once she heard that I was seeing her, she claimed that she would not try to get between the two of us, but I simply cannot bring myself to trust her, despite Twilight's insistence."

"But you know Twilight wouldn't allow her to get between the two of you..." Fluttershy offered.

"And if Twilight says somepony can be trusted, then they can probably be trusted!" Pinkie added. "She's really smart! She's so smart that I bet she can tell if a pony is lying somehow! Like with a super-magical Twilight lie detector power!" Suddenly, she gasped. "And that means that she probably knew I was lying when I said that I DIDN'T accidentally eat the cookie that she was saving for Spike yesterday! I gotta go make her a replacement cookie, pronto!" The four watched as Pinkie zipped into the kitchen before they could even think of stopping her.

"Right..." Rainbow said, breaking the silence. "But yeah, if Twilight thinks she can be trusted, then I'm sure she knows what she's talking about.

"But what if her naïveté does not allow her to make a proper judgment?" the unicorn asked. "I had a terrible dream last night, in which Trixie had used a love spell to steal Twilight from me." She stopped short, omitting the bit that had come right after that. "And given our history with love spells..."

"Rarity," AJ said, patting her on the back. "Even if that did happen, d'ya really think a unicorn as powerful as Twilight ain't gunna be able ta counter that wannabe's spells?" Rarity thought about it, but was forced to concede that she did not have a good rebuttal for this.

"And besides," Pinkie said, bouncing out of the kitchen, a smell of cookie dough joining her. "Just because a pony's ex is in town doesn't mean that they're gonna go all gaga-loopy over them! I was fine when Braeburn came into town for the Apple family reunion!"

"You dated Braeburn?" Rarity asked, finding quickly that she was the only one not in the know about this.

"Yeppers!" Pinkie said, plopping herself back into her seat. "We dated for a bit, but it wasn't working out so we decided to just be friends! And when he came in for the reunion, Dashie was being just like you were and saying that he'd better not try anything funny with me! And that was really hard because he's really funny and stuff!"

"Pinkie, that's NOT what I meant..." Rainbow said.

"I know, Dashie!" the pink pony responded, giggling. "And I didn't do anything funny with him because I love my little ear-flop knee-twitch eye-flutter!"

"Your...what?" Rainbow asked. Pinkie giggled again.

"That's what happens when the sky is about to be graced by a beautiful Rainbow!" Pinkie said cheerfully. Rainbow blushed lightly as Rarity smiled.

"Maybe you girls are right," Rarity said. "Perhaps I am worrying far too much." She then drooped. "And in doing so, I have been simply awful to Twilight by not echoing her trust."

"Well, maybe ya should be honest with her about yer feelings," AJ said matter-of-factly. "Go right to her an' tell her exactly how ya felt. Get it off yer chest an' Ah reckon you'll feel a whole lot better." Rarity was hesitant, but then nodded her agreement.

"I shall," the unicorn said.

"You're gonna be all over-dramatic about it, aren't you?" Rainbow asked.

"I shall try not to be," Rarity responded.

~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight stood at her door, speechless as her marefriend sobbed in front of her. She hadn't even said a word past "hello" since opening the door.

"Sh-should I use a different greeting?" the baffled purple unicorn asked.

"I have been a terrible, awful foo-hoo-hoooool..." Rarity blubbered as Twilight gently led her inside.

"What are you talking about, Rarity?" Twilight inquired, helping her onto a couch.

"I should have trusted you when you said to trust Trixie," Rarity whined, accepting the tissue that Twilight was now offering her. She blew loudly into it, then immediately discarded it in the closest trash receptacle. "But alas! I was too hard-headed! Too stubborn! And now...now, I must pay the price by being forced to acknowledge the terrible mental trauma that I must have been putting you through with my selfishness!" Rarity reached forward and grabbed Twilight's front hooves with her own, holding them close to her. "Pleeeeease forgive me, Sparkle Kitten!"

"It's okay, Rarity," Twilight said, giving her a smile. "I forgive you."

"I BEG OF YOU!" Rarity shouted. "PLEASE...you do?" Twilight grinned and nodded as Rarity's reddened eyes looked up to meet hers.

"Of course I do," Twilight responded. "I understand that it might be tough dealing with your marefriend's ex being around her, especially when you and her have a bit of a tumultuous relationship to begin with." She then put a hoof under Rarity's chin, leaning forward and giving her a kiss on the nose. "I forgive you, and I love you."

"Thank you, Kitten," Rarity replied, drying her tears.

"But," Twilight said. "I think you should apologize to Trixie as well." Rarity's face fell instantly.

"Must I, Twilight?" she asked, her reservations about this clear.

"I think you must," Twilight answered. "She was telling me the other day how she feels like you two can't get along, and how she wishes that wasn't the case." Her eyes then lit up. "What if we go out to the club tonight, just the three of us? It'll give you a chance to spend time around her and see that she's worth your trust, and then you two can get along and maybe even become friends! Won't that be fun?" Twilight smiled eagerly, a smile which was not immediately reciprocated by Rarity.

"Y-yes...fun..." the white unicorn replied.

Chapter 5

It had been hours since Rarity had gotten home from talking to Twilight, and she still had not chosen an ensemble for tonight's occasion. Such a thing was not entirely uncommon for the fashion-minded unicorn. In fact, if questioned about it, Twilight would likely say, in the most complimentary way possible, that the amount of time that Rarity was taking now was nothing compared to one of her typical preparation rituals. Every article of clothing that fell under consideration had to pass a strict examination, taking current trends, compatibility with other articles, and even mood and time into account. This was normal, but in Rarity's mind, tonight's event required extra-special care. She was positive that Trixie would be going all-out to make sure she looked smashing. The prize for tonight was the heart of the fair Twilight Sparkle, and while Rarity trusted that she had victory secured, this did not mean that Trixie would not fight tooth and claw to claim what she wrongfully believed to be rightfully hers. Surely she was spending this time primping and preening as well. Rarity could envision her in front of Twilight's bathroom mirror, tending to that ratty monstrosity she called a mane. She thought about Trixie applying gaudy amounts of makeup to her despicable face as she applied excessive amounts to her own. Trixie doing so was gaudy, but for Rarity, it was befitting of the radiant beauty that she exuded.

Trixie was likely coming into this looking for a battle, the white unicorn thought as she carefully curled her eyelashes. She certainly seemed the type to gallop brashly into a situation like this, horn blazing. For this reason, Rarity knew that she had to handle the situation with a level of dignity and grace that hid her contempt for the blue one. She knew her Sparkle Kitten well enough to know that she would be unhappy with whichever of them threw the first strike towards the other, whether it be verbal, magical, or even physical. Rarity had more grace than that. She vowed to herself that she would not allow herself to fall for any of Trixie's attempts to get her goat. She would be a shining portrait of patience, maturity, and eloquence, a stark contrast to the slovenly demeanor of her rival.

The fashionista stared at herself in the mirror. Her long, arduous preparation ritual was finally complete, and her appearance showed every bit of the effort put into putting it together. Rarity would be graceful and keep from initiating any conflict, but that did not mean that she would sit back and do nothing to deter her braggadocios foe's behavior. Her mane was perfectly styled, her dress sleek and form-fitting, her eye shadow stunning, her lips pouty and kissable. She would not have to worry about Twilight's attention being taken by Trixie, because Twilight would never want to take her eyes away from her marefriend. She topped this off with a quick spritz of her Kitten's favorite perfume of hers; just enough to tickle Twilight's senses, but not enough to overpower. Such a thing would come off as a clear sign of desperation, a tactic more befitting of Trixie. She could only imagine how much perfume Trixie was drenching herself in, as part of her futile attempts to woo Twilight back. Pathetic.

A quick glance at the time shook Rarity from her reverie over her appearance. If she did not leave at this very moment, she would be late, and if there was one thing that Twilight disliked more than anything else, it was tardiness. Well, tardiness and disorganization. Two things. Regardless, it was imperative that she leave right then, and leave she did. She was fortunate in that the club was only a short trot away from the Boutique; if it was any further away, she never would have had a chance of making it on time. The club was a fairly new addition to the town, having been opened by the strange business pairing of Vinyl Scratch and Berry Punch. The efforts of the two had created a wonderful social gathering place, showcasing the best new music they could find and serving delicious beverages, both alcoholic and non. It was a favorite date location for Rarity and Twilight when they didn't particularly need private time with only each other. She grinned as she neared the club, seeing Twilight approach at the same time. Her timing was indeed impeccable. Trixie was curiously absent, but this did not bother Rarity too much. She watched Twilight's eyes sparkle as she approached, and knew that the attention paid to her appearance was not for naught. Twilight had also dolled herself up for their evening out, but while she admired the loveliness that Twilight radiated, she was a bit better at keeping her calm than Twilight, who was staring at her with admiration in her eyes.

"Good evening, Kitten," Rarity cooed as she slinked up to her, giving her a warm greeting nuzzle. She pulled back to gaze deep into her violet eyes, and chuckled lightly when Twilight's response got caught in her throat. She stood close to Twilight, allowing her to get a nice whiff of the perfume, listening to Twilight's contented sigh as she took it in.

"Did our third for the evening not show up tonight?" the white unicorn asked her love. She hated to break the moment by bringing up the one who was intruding on their time together, but she felt the need to do so anyway. To bring up her absence might spotlight it and show Twilight that she was not worth her time,

"Oh, she's already inside," Twilight responded, eliciting a slight frown from Rarity. "The three of us are going to spend some time together, but then I'm going to go to the bathroom to give you two a bit of time to talk things over, alright?" In truth, Rarity was not alright with this. Spending time with that harlot was only just bearable due to Twilight being around; time alone with her would be very difficult. She could not say no to her Kitten, though. She had to handle this maturely, and so she forced a smile to grace her countenance and allowed her head to nod in defiance of her true feelings. Twilight thanked her with a gentle kiss, then led her inside. Rarity's eyes darted to their usual table, and there was the blue one, sitting in her usual chair. She scoffed silently to herself; Trixie had made no effort to primp herself for the evening. She should have expected this, she thought. Surely Trixie did not have enough class or style to compete with Rarity's beauty. She must have conceded in advance to save herself the trouble. Her confidence boosted even further, Rarity strode to the table, giving her rival another forced smile.

"Good evening, Trixie," Rarity said through closed teeth.

"Rarity," Trixie said in response, striking back with an equal dose of confidence. Upon closer inspection, Trixie had put a bit of effort into her appearance. Little wisps of eye shadow danced off the corners of her eyes, and Rarity was forced to admit that had she not met her under such inauspicious circumstances and held such a negative opinion of her, she might have found her attractive.

"Who wants drinks?" Twilight asked cheerfully as the two sat down.

"Trixie shall get them!" Trixie responded. She gave a smile to Rarity. "Trixie wishes to bury the hatchet between us, Rarity. She hopes you will allow her to purchase your first drink." Rarity tilted her head, unsure of this arrangement, but to turn the offer down would likely look bad to Twilight, and this was not an option.

"Very well, Trixie," she replied. The showmare smiled and glided to the bar, putting in a drink order. Rarity watched her carefully, until her gaze was pulled back to Twilight, who was giving her the sweetest smile. She found herself caught off-guard and melting into Twilight's eyes, unable to concentrate on anything else until Trixie returned with their drinks.

"Your favorite drink, Rarity," Trixie said with what Rarity interpreted as a very fake smile. "Just as Twilight told me." The white unicorn looked her drink over. Indeed, it was a Cosmarepolitan, her typical drink of choice. She gave a delicate nod to the blue one as she took her drink, forcing yet another smile before she took a sip. At least she was trying, she supposed. Although it was likely some manner of deception.

"Dulcet Tone!" Trixie suddenly exclaimed, pointing to the DJ booth. "She sings this song! Did you know that the Great and Powerful Trixie once performed with her?" Rarity rolled her eyes as the braggart went into a drawn-out story, dropping names like apples from one of Applejack's trees. She was doing her best to feign interest, but in truth, she had no desire to hear about who Trixie had hobnobbed with. She finished her drink, acknowledging to herself that this was going to be a long night.

"Have you finished your beverage, Rarity?" Trixie asked, taking a break from her story.

"Oh, yes," Rarity said. "It was marvelous, thank you." She caught a big smile from Twilight out of the corner of her eye. Perhaps the knowledge that seeing her ex and her current love getting along made Twilight happy was enough to get Rarity through the night. Before she knew it, another Cosmarepolitan drifted in front of her, the remains of Trixie's magical aura fading from it.

"Trixie is treating tonight," the showmare said. "As a sign of new friendship." Rarity smiled a little more earnestly.

"Thank you, Trixie," she made herself say, taking a sip. She still did not trust Trixie, but at least she was making the evening bearable by providing her with drinks. She was even behaving herself physically. A hoof would occasionally glance over Twilight's shoulder, but it was likely just a friendly action and nothing more, as she would do the same to Rarity here and there. Perhaps she was not entirely reprehensible.

"This reminds Trixie of the time that she shared a drink with Equestrian dance legend Sandy Soles!" Trixie said, raising her glass. Rarity rolled her eyes and ordered another Cosmarepolitan, even though she was yet to finish her second. She knew she would need it.

The night went on in that fashion for about an hour and a half. Twilight and Rarity would occasionally interject with stories of their own, but Twilight was not one for bragging, so her stories were few and far between. Rarity was normally more open to talking about herself, but the combination of her disdain for Trixie and the drinks she was throwing back to help deal with said disdain left her mostly silent. By the time Twilight excused herself to the mares' room as planned, Rarity was mostly just stewing, mentally grumbling about exactly what Trixie could do with the ritual staff that she had allegedly been granted by an ancient shaman. It was not until she noticed the sudden halt in conversation that she realized she'd been left alone with the blue one. She turned her head haphazardly, trying to focus her eyes on the self-absorbed unicorn in front of her. She hated her voice. She hated her mane. She hated her annoying face, her dumb purple eyes that wished they were as deep and gorgeous as Twilight's, her despicable lips that had touched Twilight's so long ago and would never do so again.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Rarity?" the beast asked, her breath smelling of fresh peppermint. Rarity had never hated peppermint until now. She hoped that her mind would not form a lasting correlation between the two, or she would have to stop frequenting Twist's house for fresh supplies of candy canes. She was positive that the friendliness Trixie was showing was all a sham, though she idly wondered why she was keeping it up while Twilight was away. She did not answer the question. She was too busy hating Trixie's sweet little faked smile.

"You look splendid tonight, Rarity," Trixie said. Now she was trying to butter her up with compliments. She did not need compliments from that harlot, especially when they were things she already knew. She hated her fake behavior, the way she daintily crossed her hooves on the table in front of her, the way the curl in the front of her mane bounced as she tossed it out of her face.

"Your marefriend looks lovely as well," Trixie said with a smirk. Rarity's drunken glare hardened, staring down the blue mare who was now tossing her mane proudly. How dare she speak that way about Twilight? She stared daggers at the contemptible braggart, whose only response was to flutter her long eyelashes at her. She hated her.

"H-How dare you!" Rarity slurred, pointing a hoof at Trixie in a very un-ladylike manner. "You...boastful little..." Trixie put a hoof to her own chest, shocked.

"Boastful?" the blue unicorn asked, looking hurt. "The Great and Powerful Trixie does not know what you mean." Rarity got up from her seat at this, nearly stumbling. She hated the way Trixie's purple eyes stared deep into her own. She hated the faint whiff of vanilla from either her perfume or her shampoo. She hated the way her full little lips curled into a slight, bemused grin. She hated how soft those lips felt when pressed against her own. She hated the way her minty breath invaded her mouth.

Rarity pulled back as quickly as she could, a baffled look on her face. Trixie's face reflected this, but her shock was nothing compared to the shock on Rarity's, and neither of theirs could hold a candle to the distress on the face of the returning Twilight. Rarity stared at her marefriend, eyes wide and confused. She touched a hoof to her lips, disconnecting the tiny strand of saliva that until that moment had still been connecting her to the perplexed blue unicorn. Rarity tried to speak, but nothing would come out. Her brain would not provide her mouth with words, for it was unable to come up with any to explain what had just happened. She watched the purple unicorn's ears droop, her beautiful violet eyes welling up with tears. Before Rarity's alcohol-inhibited body could make a move, she was gone, the club door slamming in her wake. Rarity looked to Trixie, who stared at her as if she was the most despicable being in existence before running after Twilight.

Perhaps she was, she thought as the eyes of the club's remaining patrons fell upon her. Perhaps she was.

Chapter 7

Once again, everypony seemed to have forgotten about Spike.

It was a common enough occurrence, one that he knew wasn't malicious in its intent. It was simply something that he, as a male baby dragon who predominantly spent his time around six adult mares, had to deal with. He didn't hold any ill will towards them; Twilight was like a sister to him, and the other girls all treated him very well. He loved them, and he knew they loved him in return. When they got caught up in their own business, though, it wasn't at all uncommon for them to seemingly forget he was even around.

Letting Rarity go had been much harder on him than he'd let on to Twilight. She and their friends had the tendency to refer to his feelings for the fashionista as simply a childhood crush and nothing more. To Spike, however, it was far more than that. He was not afraid to say that he was in love with Rarity. She was simply stunning, the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on. It wasn't just her physical beauty, though. She held a rare (no pun intended) quality: absolute, unwavering generosity. Such a thing was not a surprise. She did, after all, bear that very element. She was always giving of herself, usually doing so without the slightest thought of her own needs or desires. If a friend needed, or even just wanted, something that she could reasonably provide, she would do her best to provide it to them, even if it meant giving up something of her own.

It was for that reason that Spike gave up on her when Twilight told him of her newfound feelings for her. It certainly wasn't something he wanted at first. In fact, there were still times, even as recently as a few weeks ago when he watched her enter the library in a stunning evening gown, where he regretted his decision, albeit only briefly. When Twilight had informed him of the entire situation involving the love spell and her feelings for Rarity sprouting from it, he had not been a very happy dragon. He had loved Rarity for a long time at that point, and for somepony--not just anypony, but somepony who knew of his feelings, somepony who was essentially a sister to him--to suddenly claim feelings for her was terrible to him. Rarity was supposed to be his. Not somepony else's; his. He had stewed for some time over it, even going as far as to try and figure out a way to keep Twilight from confessing her love. It had taken quite a lot of self-reflection before he realized that to do such a thing was wrong. He loved Rarity, and he loved Twilight, and for those reasons, he had to let Twilight talk to her about it. He knew for a fact that Twilight was a wonderful pony, and could make Rarity very happy if both of them so desired. As much as he wanted to be with her, he had to return the generosity that Rarity always showed everypony. If Rarity didn't return Twilight's feelings, then maybe he could keep trying for her, but he couldn't stand in the way.

He caught sight of their first kiss shared under no false pretenses. He was there when they excitedly shared the news of their relationship to their friends. He would help Twilight get ready for their dates, and even provide pointers on what she should wear based on the little bits of fashion tips he'd gleaned from Rarity. He would tell Rarity of Twilight's favorite authors and tip her off on what Twilight was currently reading so she could engage her with conversation about it. Each and every time, his heart ached, but each time, the ache would be slightly easier to deal with. He knew he was doing the right thing every time Rarity thanked him for his assistance, every time Twilight bubbled over how wonderfully their date had gone, every time he overheard Twilight gushing to one of their friends about how much she loved her Precious Jewel and every time Rarity said the same about her Sparkle Kitten. Two of the most important ponies in the world to him were undeniably happy, which served as more than enough vindication for having given up his love.

Trixie threatened all of that. Spike hadn't trusted her from the moment he was made aware of her arrival, bad blood from their previous meeting having boiled anew. Once he'd been made aware of their little tryst some time ago, things got simultaneously better and worse. Part of him figured that if Twilight had seen enough good in her to do things which he preferred not to ask about with her, then maybe she wasn't the awful pony he'd thought she was. At the same time, if Spike knew anything about trashy romance novels (and he did, thanks to his time spent enduring Rarity's swooning over them in order to spend more time with her), an ex-marefriend suddenly coming to visit and declaring an intent to win her former love's heart back was bad news. He'd made sure to keep alert while Trixie was around, an endeavor which got him in trouble once or twice. To say that Trixie was displeased when she caught him watching her enter the bathroom was an understatement, despite his protests that it wasn't at all what it looked like. Often enough, though, he went entirely unnoticed. Such was the singular benefit of being forgotten about here and there; it made snooping and spying that much easier.

Spike had to admit, however, that he was not a very good spy. Although he had his inklings, he had found no concrete evidence that Trixie was doing anything wrong. Sure, she wasn't always the nicest of ponies to him. Sure, she seemed to be spending quite a lot of time around Twilight. Neither one of these things, though, was reason enough to accuse her of the wrongdoing he was hoping to pin on her. They could both be easily explained away; the first as either a clash of personalities or a response to the few times she'd caught him snooping, and the second as her just wishing to spend time with a friend. It wasn't as if she was trying to force herself on Twilight (an image he didn't really want to delve into) in their time together. As much as he wished it wasn't the case, all of Spike's "evidence" was anything but. Simply a judgment based on a feeling he had and a pre-existing bias against Trixie.

This still didn't stop him from sneaking out to see Rarity. The sadness that he saw in her face before she left the library was too much for him to bear, especially after having spent most of the late night helping to console a despondent Twilight. He had given up his love to make two of the most important ponies in the world to him happy, and now they weren't. This was not okay at all. He couldn't talk to Twilight about it with Trixie around, so this was the obvious choice. He had no idea what he'd say to the poor unicorn, and he hoped to Celestia as he approached Carousel Boutique that he would come up with something good. The story that he'd heard of what Rarity did just didn't seem very Rarity-like to him, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it. He looked Carousel Boutique over as he approached, weighing his options. He could rappel up the wall to her bedroom window, or he could knock on the front door. He figured the choice was obvious.

Rarity stared wistfully at her surroundings. She had worked hard to make such a nice living for herself in Ponyville. She had earned everything she owned, and she had a lot to be proud of. As such, it was that much harder for her to say goodbye to all of it. It wasn't something she wanted to do. She loved her boutique, and she would miss her friends terribly. It was a regretful necessity, something she couldn't even hope to avoid. She could no longer live here, for everything reminded her of Twilight, and she could not have that. Nor could she remain in Twilight's presence; such a luxury was something she did not deserve. She had been entrusted with the purple beauty's heart, and in a moment of drunken idiocy, she'd shattered it. Exile was clearly the only option. Certainly a mare of her talents could find a new place to make a living, right? A place where her name was not as known, and her misdeeds less so. She glanced around the room, sighing heavily. She would miss every single bit of it. The lovely bed. The beautiful carpet. The slightly garish grappling hook attached to the outside of her window.

Rarity blinked. She didn't remember leaving a grappling hook on her window. Infiltration chic had gone out of style months ago. She carefully approached the window, levitating a vase alongside her. Her sadness would not leave her helpless, and she would make this burglar pay for attempting to compound upon her depression with an attempted robbery. Upon the first sight of her assailant's head breaching the windowsill, she let her weapon fly.

Spike came to a few minutes later, though to him it seemed like a mere moment. He rubbed his eyes, watching the white unicorn who'd caused his loss of consciousness pace worriedly about her room. He ran a claw through his crest, loosening a small shard of vase that had been ensconced there. Apparently, his stirring had caught Rarity's attention, and he quickly found himself surrounded in soft white fur as Rarity hugged him close to her chest.

"I'm so, so sorry, Spikey-Wikey!" Rarity exclaimed as she held him. "I thought I was being attacked, and after the horrific things I've been through recently, I acted without thinking! Please forgive me!"

Spike said nothing for a few moments, letting his mind wander as he took in Rarity's scent and enjoyed the feeling of his face against her warm body. He felt a primal part of his mind poke at him, telling him that maybe things would be best if he didn't try to do what he'd come here for. He quickly dismissed this thought. Now was not the time for selfishness.

"It's okay, Rarity," Spike groaned. "It was an accident...and I probably could have chosen a better, although less fun, way to come in." He squirmed slightly, attempting to escape before he got too used to the physical comfort and forgot the task at hand. He figured Rarity had taken notice of his actions, as she let him go with a sigh.

"I understand if you don't want to be too close to me, Spike," the fashionista said with more than a hint of sadness in her tone. "I am a terrible pony, and do not deserve your friendship, nor that of any of the ponies whom I have held dear." She sighed heavily, trying to fight the tears that were threatening to return. "I am surprised you even came to talk to me at all. Surely you must think me a monster for hurting Twilight."

"No, Rarity," came Spike's answer. "I don't." The unicorn turned back to him, a look of surprise on her face.

"You don't?" she asked incredulously.

"I don't," Spike confirmed. "Because I know you wouldn't just do that to Twilight. I know there has to be something more to this."

"Well, yes," Rarity concurred. "You see, some beverages contain a thing called alcohol, and when one drinks too much..."

"I know what alcohol is, Rarity," Spike said, rolling his eyes a bit. "But I'm saying that something seems wrong anyway!"

"I appreciate your concern, Spike," the seamstress said, remorse lining each of her words. "But I know when I have done wrong." She bit her lip as she began to remove some of her belongings from her drawers, setting them down in a nearby suitcase. "And I know when it is best to fold one's hoof in half and redraw elsewhere." Spike frowned. He knew what she meant despite her botched attempt at making a poker analogy. He never figured her to be much of a gambler anyway.

"You can't leave town, Rarity!" Spike exclaimed. "We'll all miss you! Twilight most of all!" The unicorn frowned even more, despite the lines it would cause.

"Twilight told me herself that she did not wish to see me," Rarity replied.

"That's because she doesn't know the truth!" Spike told her. "...Whatever it is!" He nearly grabbed that long, beautiful purple mane to pull her face closer to his, but quickly thought better. She was upset enough; mussing her precious mane up would certainly not help matters. "Look, I don't know what's going on here, but I don't trust Trixie at all, and I know there has to be some bit of the story that's missing!" His words dripped with a conviction that he had no concrete way of backing up, as if he were hoping to overcome a lack of factual evidence with sheer bravado. To his credit, his words were strong enough to make Rarity hesitate in her task.

"Spike, I cannot see a way where this is not my fault," the unicorn said, although the gears in her head were turning. "I drank too much, I made a terrible error, and..."

"But you would never do that!" Spike insisted, restraining the urge to shout. "Just...I dunno, just go back over the events of the night! Maybe something weird happened that you didn't realize at the time!"

"Spike, you read far too many detective comics," Rarity told him, beginning to go back to packing. Her efforts were held back as Spike hugged Rarity's leg in desperation.

"Please!" Spike begged. Rarity couldn't help but sniffle a bit, touched by how dedicated Spike was to not letting her leave. She sighed to herself, then gave the dragon a weak smile.

"Okay, Spike," she said, gently nudging him until he let go. She then sat down on the bed, quickly joined by Spike.

"Alright!" the dragon said, tapping his chin. "So what exactly happened? Start from the beginning of the night." Rarity sighed; it was painful recounting the evening, but she still did so to indulge Spike.

"...And then she passed the next drink to me," Rarity said, getting more and more tense as she got closer to the moment of betrayal.

"With her hoof or with magic?" Spike asked, jotting notes down on a pad that he'd requested shortly after they'd began. The unicorn rolled her eyes.

"Is that really important?" Rarity asked.

"Every detail is important!" Spike insisted.

"Well, she passed it with her hoof," Rarity answered. Then she hesitated. "...But her horn was still lit." She and Spike stared at each other, gears spinning rapidly. It was at that moment, as she recalled the passing of each drink, that Rarity thanked the heavens for her attention to detail.

"...Spike?" Rarity asked.

"Yes, Rarity?" Spike replied.

"How would you like to help me with a plan?"

"Anything for you, Rarity."

Chapter 8

The citizens of Ponyville watched in silence as Rarity trudged across town, bags packed and trailing behind her in a wagon. Despite their feelings towards her from the incident they'd heard about with Twilight, it was still a sad occasion to see such a thing. She may have hurt Twilight badly, but that didn't erase all the good she'd done for the town, and to see her driven out of town was heartbreaking. Not a single pony spoke a word as she passed them, although one or two offered sad, somewhat-sympathetic looks. Not a single one was able to catch her eye, though. The shamed socialite would not pull her eyes from the ground in front of her. Thankfully, she knew the path to the library well enough by this point to walk there without looking.

Rarity sighed a heavy sigh as she stared at the library door. Her hoof hung in front of it for a few long, painful seconds as she tried to will it against the wood. The rejection from Twilight had hurt enough last time that she was actually hoping for that detestable Trixie to answer. As it would turn out, she would get exactly what she hoped for, as Trixie opened the door to meet her. Whether this was a good or bad thing was up for debate, but it was what shed hoped for regardless.

"Well hello again, Rarity," the snide trickster sneered. "What brings you here this time?"

"Please do not taunt me, Trixie," Rarity said softly. "You have won. There is no need to rub it in my face."

"Trixie intends to do nothing of the sort," Trixie told her, despite the smile on her face implying otherwise. "Trixie is gracious in victory. She may also be gracious in defeat, but she would not know that."

"Indeed..." Rarity said, using all of her willpower to keep from shouting at the braggadocios illusionist. She could not afford to lose her patience. "As for my intentions, I have simply come to say goodbye. After the events of last night and the pain I have put poor Twilight through, I cannot show my face in town any longer." Rarity sighed, casting her gaze downwards once more and choking back a sob.

"Trixie is very sorry to hear this, Rarity," Trixie told her, in a tone that Rarity would have likely interpreted as sincere had she not already known that this wasn't the case. "Trixie wishes that we could all live together in harmony, and is saddened that such a goal is not attainable."

"As am I," Rarity responded.

"Trixie assumes you shall wish to tell Twilight of your departure yourself?" Trixie asked.

"No," Rarity answered. "Twilight has already stated that she does not wish to speak to me. If I were to tell her that I was leaving, she would only feel worse than she already does. Perhaps it would be best for you to tell her after I have left."

"Trixie supposes that would be optimal," the illusionist said, trying to hide the smirk that was attempting to creep across her face. "The message shall be delivered."

Rarity nodded, still refusing to look up. To look into the eyes of that terrible trickster would pain her more than she could take at the moment. The seamstress turned her back to her rival, beginning to take her leave. After a step or two, she raised her head, looking back towards Trixie.

"Before I leave, Trixie..." she said, tilting her head slightly. "I simply must know how you pulled it off."

"Pulled what off?" Trixie asked, a baffled look crossing her face.

"You know what I am speaking of," Rarity said simply, turning to face Trixie fully. "You returned to Ponyville to take what you believed was yours, and you orchestrated this entire event to remove me from the picture so you could have Twilight all to yourself. I am not daft, Trixie." She gave a haughty smirk, staring Trixie down. Trixie, however, was not to be worked so easily.

"Trixie hasn't the slightest clue what you are blabbering about," she said with a scoff. "You are simply trying to blame others for your own indiscretions. And besides, if that really were the case, which it is not, do you really think that Trixie would be foolish enough to admit it to you?" The performer tossed her mane back, giving Rarity a confident grin.

"Of course not," Rarity replied. "My apologies." She turned her back once more, then spoke again, this time not even bothering to glance back. "I had an idea of what spell you might have used, but on second thought, it was a bit too complicated." Rarity did not even bother taking another step forward; she knew such a thing would be completely unnecessary.

"Too...complicated?" Trixie asked, venom seeping into her tone. "Do you have any idea who you are speaking to, wretch? No spell is too complicated for the Great and Powerful Trixie!"

"I do wish that were the case," Rarity said, lifting a hoof up and blowing a small speck of dirt off of it. "Twilight is the most powerful unicorn I know, and if her marefriend is to be a unicorn, she should be one who has at least some modicum of magical talent. I tried this spell at home and managed to cast it, but it's just a teensy bit out of your grasp." Rarity finally deigned to cast a look back, and was greeted with the sight of a positively enraged Trixie.

"How...DARE you?!" Trixie shouted. "The nerve! The gall! The Great and Powerful Trixie is the most talented unicorn alive! None can match her ability! Especially not a filthy ruffian with a greasy mane and a tacky fashion sense!" Rarity winced as Trixie barraged her with the series of appearance-based barbs. Still, she withstood them. As important as her physical attributes were to her, nothing was more important than regaining the love of her life.

"As much as you may wish that to be true," the white unicorn said, "it simply is not. That spell I believe you to have cast is within my skill level, but I'm afraid yours falls short."

"You think a simple inhibition-removing spell is outside of my skill level?" Trixie shouted back. "Absurd!" Rarity let a smirk cross her face. Things couldn't possibly be going better.

"Oh nonono, I'm sure that's not what you did," Rarity said. "It's far too complex. To cast it even once would be an immeasurable feat."

"Ha! Once? Don't make me laugh!" Trixie retorted. "I cast it once on each of your drinks, you foal! Trixie is greater and more powerful than you could ever wish to be!"

"Oh?" Rarity mused. "Hmm...well then, you must have been casting a weakened version of it. One that was not nearly strong enough to have much of an effect."

"Surely you jest!" Trixie shot back. "Every single casting of that spell was done at full power, to assure that you would kiss Trixie! And it worked perfectly, did it not?" The blue unicorn laughed a triumphant laugh, accompanied by a small display of magical fireworks.

"Well then," Rarity said, her smile growing as she glanced over Trixie's shoulder. "I retract my accusations. You certainly are a great and powerful magician. Do you not agree, Twilight?"

Trixie froze in place. A single drop of sweat dripped down her forehead as Rarity broke out into a full grin. Slowly, deliberately, the stage magician turned around, afraid of what she would eventually see. Sure enough, there was Spike, standing at the foot of the stairs. Next to him was a very incensed Twilight. Small licks of flame crept through her mane and tail as she glared at Trixie.

"T-Twilight...I can explain..." Trixie began.

"You don't need to explain anything," Twilight said, her voice eerily calm. "You need to leave. Now." The blue unicorn stammered a bit, as all three sets of eyes fell on her. Finally, she gave up any semblance of self-respect and threw herself at Twilight's hooves.

"Please, Twilight Sparkle! You must forgive me!" she whined, even dropping her third person narrative as she grabbed at the hooves in front of her. "I missed being with you so much, and I wanted you back so badly that it clouded my judgment! I'd never been close with anypony before you...I'll never try to take you away from Rarity again...just...please don't send me away..." The performer looked up at Twilight, pleading just as much with her gaze as she had with her words.

Rarity watched the scene from the doorway. Just as she had been back when Trixie had given her sob story upon arriving at the library, she was nervous to look at Twilight. Looking at Twilight would certainly reveal the look of forgiveness towards Trixie that she absolutely did not want to see. She knew it was coming, and she looked away, not sure if she could take watching such a thing.

"Trixie..." Twilight said, her voice still calm. "You came here, made a big fuss about just wanting to be friends, abused my trust so much that I was taking your side over Rarity's, and then used a spell to victimize Rarity and make her do something she'd never do. And you lied about the whole thing just so you could take her out of the picture and try to be with me. Maybe we can talk this over one day, but right now, you need to get out of my home."

Rarity stared in awe at Twilight, barely able to believe what she had just heard. Trixie seemed to be in much the same position, as she certainly hadn't expected Twilight to turn her away. Unable to even form words, Trixie got back to her hooves and turned, head hung low. She dragged her hooves past Rarity, who smirked. It wasn't like her to enjoy the misfortune of others, but all things considered, she felt she was well within her rights. The door closed behind her, and Trixie was gone.

There was a moment of silence as Twilight and Rarity stared at each other. Spike took one look at what was going on and silently excused himself. He had saved the day, but it was time to step away and let the two have this moment. He'd make sure that he got a nice, ice-creamy reward later on.

"Rarity..." Twilight said, barely above a whisper. "...I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have-"

Twilight's apology was stopped by a white hoof over her mouth. Rarity sniffled lightly, tears starting to fall around her smile.

"Later, Kitten," she said. "Right now, all I wish is to be with you." Twilight started to try and apologize again, and Rarity's hoof drifted up her cheek and to her ear. Twilight's gentle protests faded, as Rarity knew they would. Of course the ear-stroking would work. It always did.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading, everyone! This is a story I've been wanting to tell since shortly after I wrote Sparkle Kitten, but I had never got around to it until now. I'm glad you enjoyed it (At least I hope you did!), and I hope you enjoyed it enough to check out my other works!

Chapter 1

"Oh! Have you met Thunder Lane?"

Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes slightly at this question. It wasn't because Rarity should have known that she'd met Thunder Lane. She had dealt with him quite a bit when she was helping Rainbow Dash with the heavy task of supplying Cloudsdale with the water it needed from the local pond. To be fair, Rarity wasn't involved in that business, but even so, she been there with the others in Cloudsdale when they'd gone to visit Rainbow at Wonderbolt Academy and nearly been torn to shreds by an errant tornado. Anypony who had paid even the slightest bit of attention would have noticed the goo-goo eyes she was giving him after he saved her.

"Whatever was that expression for, kitten?" Rarity asked, tilting her head. Of course she had noticed. It was probably pretty silly of Twilight to believe that any detail would escape her careful eye. That was one of the things that made her such a wonderful dressmaker. And a wonderful everything else, really. Everything about being with Rarity had been so deeply, joyfully fantastic over the last six months (six months, one week, four days, three hours, and seventeen minutes, to be precise, according to Twilight's notes). Her generosity, her beauty, her devotion to making Twilight as happy as she made her...everything added up to make the total package that was Rarity, and she absolutely loved every bit of her. So why was this little thing bothering her?

"Kitten?" Rarity repeated. Twilight blinked. She'd gotten lost in her thoughts again. She looked up into those big azure eyes and fought the urge to get lost in them; a difficult battle, but one that she managed to win with some willpower.

"Sorry, Rarity..." Twilight said, her ears drooping slightly. "I guess I was just surprised by how many ponies you've dated." She then blushed and quickly added, "N-not that it's a bad thing..." The last thing she wanted to do was make it sound like she was insulting Rarity's integrity. Rarity tilted her head, but then gave a dismissive wave.

"Oh darling, I understand completely," Rarity said, seasoning the sentence with a number of soft chuckles. She lifted a hoof and booped Twilight on the nose. "You know that you are more important to me than all of my exes combined." Twilight gave the hoof a quick peck before it was fully withdrawn, almost instinctually. It tasted lightly of Rarity's favorite soap, a flavor she'd become very accustomed to in the last six months, one week, four days, three hours, and...eighteen minutes. It touched her heart how understanding her marefriend was, even when she'd said something as questionable as her previous statement.

"But enough of my past romantic excursions," Rarity said, smiling to the only pony whose lips she would allow on her hooves, especially so soon after a hooficure. "Surely a lovely pony such as yourself must have had a pony or two pining over her before moi came along and stole her heart?" Twilight's smile held strong for a moment before faltering. Why did she not see this coming? Of COURSE Rarity was going to ask about her past partners when Twilight had been asking about hers. Why hadn't she thought of an exit strategy? This was the kind of thing she typically planned for, and it was a boneheaded move to just completely...

"Kitten?" Rarity interjected. "You're doing it again, darling." Twilight's cheeks colored, and Rarity's eyes softened. "Don't tell me you haven't had a coltfriend or marefriend before myself, Twilight, for I would find that quite hard to believe."

"N-no..." The words slipped out before Twilight could act fast enough to stop them. Rarity smiled a cute little smile.

"Well?" the fashionista said, tracing a hoof along Twilight's mane. "Do tell!" Twilight closed her eyes, enjoying her mane being stroked, but could not enjoy the feeling for long as a sense of dread overcame her. Sure, Rarity had told her of her past colt- and marefriends, but her only previous marefriend was a different case altogether. None of Rarity's exes evoked the kind of visceral reaction that Twilight's would likely evoke in Rarity, but there really was no going back at this point.

"Um...just one..." Twilight said weakly. "It's not a big deal." She smiled awkwardly, hoping beyond hope that this little bit of talk would be enough to satiate Rarity's interest in the topic. She knew very well, however, that this would not be the case, and Rarity's raised brow and bemused smirk only accentuated this fact.

"Oh come now," Rarity said. "You know quite well that you can tell me anything..." Twilight gulped as she felt Rarity's hoof drift up her cheek and begin to stroke her ear. Rarity knew her weaknesses as well as her strengths, and she seemed to have no qualms about exploiting them when necessary. Twilight's eyelids lulled shut as her ear was played with and Rarity continued. "Please, Sparkle Kitten." Twilight sighed heavily; there was no way that she could say no under this gentle onslaught.

"Promise you won't get mad?" Twilight managed to ask through the ear-stroking. Rarity chuckled lightly to herself. Of course the ear-stroking would work. It always did. She shifted her hoof back to Twilight's cheek, gently turning her so they were eye-to-eye.

"Twilight, darling," Rarity said, a bit of a bemused undertone to her voice. "It would be incredibly rude of me to be angry at you over your one ex when I have just finished giving you a list of mine."

"This is different, though," Twilight said quietly. "She's...different." Rarity scoffed, giving Twilight the tiny grin that she loved so much.

"How different could she be?" the white unicorn inquired. Before Twilight could answer, there was a knock at the door. Both ponies turned to the library door.

"Were you expecting somepony, kitten?" Rarity asked. Twilight shook her head.

"I can't say that I was," the purple unicorn responded. "And if it was a library patron, I'm sure they would have just walked in...I'll go see who it is." Twilight shifted off of the couch and to her hooves, heading over to the door. Her horn illuminated, and with a quick bit of magic, the door was opened. A burst of fireworks and a fanfare of trumpets were startling enough to knock Twilight onto her rump, as well as attract Rarity's attention. The white unicorn rushed to Twilight's side to help her up and see what all the fuss was about.

"Watch, and be amazed!" the voice burst from the doorway. "For the Great and Powerful Trixie has arrived!" Twilight and Rarity both stared at the blue unicorn standing in front of them for a good few seconds. The silence was finally broken when Twilight turned to Rarity with an awkward smile.

"...Quite different," she said meekly.

Chapter 6

Rarity's illness that night was one that needed no explanation, yet opened itself up for far too many. Physically, it could have been contributed to the alcohol. She wasn't normally a big drinker, but she couldn't stop putting Cosmarepolitans away at the club. She couldn't help it; just the idea of having to deal with what she was dealing with necessitated it. She had hoped the alcohol would wash her worries away, but to say that this idea had gone catastrophically would be an understatement.

It was far more likely that her illness was a mental thing. Her actions earlier at the club were terribly unlike her. She loved Twilight Sparkle with every bit of her being, and would never want to hurt her in any fashion. Yet she did. She did, in possibly the most horrific manner short of physical harm. In fact, what she did might have even been worse that physical abuse.

Rarity's inkling that her illness was caused by her mental anguish was validated in short order. Just the thought of the despair on poor Twilight's face when she walked in on the scene was enough to send her straight back to the bathroom. What made the pain so much worse was the knowledge that it was she who caused all this heartbreak. She had never seen anything in Trixie. The thought of that blue beast disgusted her, but in that moment, her alcohol-induced haze must have made her find something attractive about her. It was the largest error in judgment that she'd ever made, and now it looked to have cost her the love of her life. That was another thought that caused her to wretch.

Sleep came eventually for the sickened seamstress, but it didn't last very long. Her actions haunted her dreams relentlessly. She would see Twilight in her dreams, just staring at her with that same crestfallen gaze. She would ask her why she did what she did, and Rarity would never have an answer. She wanted so desperately to blame Trixie for all of it. She was the one who inserted herself into their life, the one who stressed her out so much, even the one who was giving her her drinks. To blame her for everything would be wonderful, but unfortunately unrealistic. She may have given her the drinks, but one could not rightfully shoot the messenger for delivering bad news. It was she who had drank the drinks, and she who had committed the terrible deed. As soon as she would acknowledge this in her dreams, Trixie would appear, shaking her head in disappointment and pulling Twilight into her embrace.

"Trixie will never let that beast hurt her sweet Sparkle again," the nightmare would coo to Twilight as her horn lit up, surrounding her with magical tendrils. "Now we can be together forever."

Rarity would then wake up and have herself a short cry before falling asleep again, and then the process would begin again. Soon it was morning, and the poor pony was frustratingly fatigued. It was pointless to try and fall asleep against this point, when the sun was up and the birds were singing. Rarity cursed the singing birds under her breath. It was not at all fair that they could be so happy and carefree when she was a festering pile of misery. She needed to get out of her house and get her mind off of her troubles. Such an endeavor would be difficult, but it was what she needed and she knew it. She briefly considered her usual preparation routine, but she couldn't even find the inspiration to put makeup on. She did not deserve to reach her usual pinnacle of physical beauty; her actions were too ugly to justify such a thing.

Rarity should have known that a walk through town was not going to help her get her mind off of things. For one, nearly everything in town reminded her of Twilight. It was to be expected; in her time here, Twilight had gotten herself so intertwined with the town that even the smallest things likely had some manner of story involving her. Twilight really changed the town as everypony knew it.

Even more unfortunate for Rarity was the fact that Twilight was also very well known and loved by the townsfolk. Ponyville was not a particularly large town, and as such, it did not take long for news to make its way around. Every so often, Rarity would cast her gaze in the direction of another pony, only to be met with not-so-pleasant reactions. The more polite ponies would simply look away. Some would whisper things to their friends, trying not to look like they were staring right at her as they did so. A few would even scowl or glare at her, muttering nasty things under their breath. These were certainly not reactions she wanted, but as far as she was concerned, they were reactions she deserved.

The unicorn spied her good friend Applejack on the other side of the market. Perhaps she would be willing to listen and let her speak her mind? She made her way through the crowd, approaching her dear friend.

"Applejack..." Rarity said, some relief in her tone. "Could we talk?" The farmer looked up from the purchases she was making and met Rarity's eyes. Applejack hesitated; a brief silence that spoke volumes to Rarity. If Applejack, of all ponies, was not immediately jumping on the opportunity to help a friend, something was wrong.

"Uh..." AJ said, looking down. "Ah'm...mighty busy right now, Rarity. Doin'...somethin'." Applejack then trotted off, unable to look back up into Rarity's eyes. She was a terrible liar, that pony. She acknowledged that Applejack was at least making an attempt at being polite about it, but a rejection from the most dependable of ponies was tough for Rarity to take. Perhaps she'd have better luck with some of her other friends, she thought. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy heading towards the asparagus stand. She quickly galloped in front of them before anything else could grab their attention.

"Pinkie Pie! Fluttershy!" the unicorn exclaimed. "Thank goodness I found you...I simply must talk to somepony about this." The two exchanged worried glances, and Rarity knew already that she was losing them. She turned her focus on Fluttershy, knowing that she was the weakest-willed of the two.

"Fluttershy, please..." Rarity begged. "You must understand...everypony is turning their backs on me...I need good friends to talk to!" Fluttershy shook a bit, and Rarity could sense her beginning to waver. The Element of Kindness could never bear to hurt a friend. Rarity opened her mouth to speak again, but Pinkie put a foreleg around Fluttershy, pulling her away.

"We'd...really prefer not to get in the middle of it..." the pink party pony said, her voice missing its usual cheerfulness. Rarity couldn't believe what she was hearing. She looked back to her yellow friend, her eyes pleading with her.

"C'mon, Fluttershy," Pinkie said, pulling her away. "I think we have asparagus at Sugarcube Corner in my drawer of foods with names that are fun to say." She pulled the pegasus away, Fluttershy managing to meep out a meager "sorry" before being extracted from the scene. Rarity sighed a painful, pitiful sigh. She couldn't say she blamed her friends for this, but it was still very painful for her. Then it dawned on her. There was one friend that would not turn her away. She was, after all, the Element of Loyalty. Thankfully for her, that very pony was just flying overhead.

"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity shouted, some of her confidence returning. "Please, we must..."

"Don't 'please we must' me!" Rainbow shouted right back. "How could you cheat on Twilight like that?" Rarity was taken aback by the anger behind Rainbow's voice. In retrospect, she would realize that this was not a matter to be discussed with Rainbow Dash. As well as being the Element of Loyalty, she and Twilight had been an item at one point a while back. At the current moment in time, none of this dawned on the fashionista as she was left speechless, an easy target for Rainbow's candor.

"She loved you! She trusted you!" the pegasus shouted, not even caring that she was making a scene. "And you broke that poor girl's heart!" She scoffed, turning her back to Rarity.

"R-Rainbow, please..." Rarity whimpered.

"Please nothing!" Rainbow shot back. "You know, I would never in a million years have expected this from you. But hey, I guess I should learn to expect the unexpected sometimes, huh?" With that, the pegasus took off, whatever plans she had in the marketplace having been forgotten.

Rarity had assumed this morning that she was completely out of tears after last night. As the unicorn broke down right in the middle of the street, she remembered that it was bad to assume things.

Once she had recovered from her episode in the middle of town, Rarity decided that she had to talk things over with Twilight herself if things were to be solved. They had been very close, after all, even before they had started dating. As difficult as it would be, Rarity had to go attempt to speak to her. She briefly considered cleaning herself up some, but decided against it. Twilight needed to see how terribly her actions had affected her.

Rarity approached the library with understandable trepidation. She honestly didn't even know what she would say to Twilight, other than the fact that whatever it was would be extremely apologetic and overdramatic. Her hoof reached out to knock on the door, but hesitated. Was she really prepared to see Twilight as emotionally distressed as she assumed she was? And what if SHE was still here? As little as Rarity wanted to see an upset Twilight, even that was preferable to a Trixie of any demeanor. Both of those, however, paled in comparison to how little she wanted Twilight to stay upset with her, and if she didn't knock on that door and attempt to make things right, the chances of fixing things would be very unlikely. Her mind was made up at that moment. She would knock on that door, no matter what the consequences. She lurched her hoof forward and failed to connect with the door, for it had just opened.

"If it isn't the kissing bandit," sneered the blue menace who had thwarted the knocking attempt. "Trixie hopes you are not here for another taste of her lips, for she will have to decline." Rarity sneered right back, not even caring what havoc such an intense facial expression would wreak on her complexion.

"I would sooner guzzle laundry detergent," Rarity shot back.

"That certainly didn't seem to be the case last night," the blue unicorn responded. "But Trixie understands. Trixie is as beautiful as she is great and powerful." The showmare batted her eyelashes tauntingly. Even the usually-dignified Rarity could take no more of this.

"Can it, loudmouth," the fashionista hissed. "I wish to speak to Twilight and apologize to her for my horrific and frankly disgusting error in judgment last night."

"I'm afraid that isn't going to happen," Trixie answered after a callous laugh. "Twilight Sparkle does not wish to speak to you. Trixie has been asked to give you this message if you visited and to request your departure from the premises immediately."

"Hah!" Rarity exclaimed. "Like I would believe such a thing from you! You just want to get me away so you can be alone with her!" She scoffed, a bit of her confidence returning. "I shall not believe such a thing unless I hear it from Twilight herself!"

"Rarity...please leave..." came a pained voice from inside. Trixie stepped aside, nodding to the purple unicorn who had spoken. Twilight was looking absolutely miserable, as a pony whose trust had been betrayed by her love was wont to be. The bit of confidence that had returned to Rarity quickly absconded upon her realization that Twilight had indeed said those words.

"K-kitten, please..." Rarity whimpered. "Let me speak to you...let me apologize, o-or at the very least explain!" She stared pleadingly at the pony whom she still loved, praying that she would come around.

"Rarity..." Twilight said quietly, staring down at the ground. "It hurts far too much to see you right now...if you care about my feelings at all, you'll leave."

Rarity could feel her heart shatter within her chest at those words. She opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. Her gaze turned from Twilight to Trixie, whose steely stare persisted. She was crushed, but she knew deep down that after what she did, Twilight had every right to feel that way about her.

"...Very well, Twilight," Rarity said softly, feeling her eyes well up for the umpteenth time in the last twelve hours. She kept her head hung low as she turned tail and dragged her hooves away from the library. She heard the door close behind her and sighed a pained sigh, unable to even look back. The white unicorn wondered how she'd gone so wrong as she trudged away from the library.

Unknown to any of the ponies involved, a set of green eyes had watched the entire scene from the upstairs window. As quietly as he could, the baby dragon tossed a makeshift rope out of the window. Quickly, quietly, he shimmied down the blanket rope, landing as softly as possible on the ground outside. Someone had to make things right, and if no one else was going to do it, then it was up to him.